Dawn of the New Age

It has been implied throughout this book that the New Age has now dawned and that the Second Advent is being fulfilled by a man other than Jesus of Nazareth.

Then, from what part of the world and from what nation does the Lord of the Second Advent come? It is written in Revelation:

Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads."

And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel. (Rev. 7:2-4)

According to this passage, the one who has the seal of the living God is to come from the East. Some people may feel that this verse should be interpreted symbolically, not literally.

However, it is a historical fact that Christianity and other great religions came from the East. There are striking differences between the Occidentals and Orientals in their cultural and scientific achievements, philosophical inclinations, and religious attitudes.

The Occidentals are greatly given to pursuing scientific truth by reason, analysis, and logic, while maintaining an objective evaluation. On the other hand, Orientals are inclined to understand the truth through intuition, meditation, and acceptance by heart, with total subjective involvement.

The Occidentals have made progress in science, whereas the Orientals have made advancements in religion and philosophy. Considering these differences, we can understand why the Orient has produced the major religions.

The Lord of the Second Advent will appear in the East, bearing the seal of the living God. This has been reiterated through revelations for many years.

The Unification of Religions

All world religions have arisen through God's providence and have enlightened the consciousness of humankind.

Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Shinto, and Hinduism have all contributed to human spiritual development. These religions have laid the foundation for the fulfillment of the new dispensation, the establishment of the kingdom of heaven on earth. (Acts 17:24-31)

All the great religions are based upon certain degrees of truth from God and have served as His means of communication to the various segments of mankind throughout the ages. Judeo-Christianity, however, is a direct revelation from God dealing with the central sphere of the providence of restoration.

Other religions, while also containing revelation as well as profound moral and spiritual teachings, form a more peripheral sphere of God's providence.

Until now, the founders of the various religions and the great philosophers had formed separate societies in the spirit world and were still leading their followers there. In the past, these groups were isolated from one another and were unaware of the others' activities.

However, with the beginning of God's new dispensation, the barriers among them have broken down. Such barriers had been created in paradise and elsewhere because of the different conceptions of God and degrees of spiritual understanding.

The dissolution of barriers in the spirit world parallels the present-day abandonment of isolationism by nations and many other groups on earth. In this sense, the world is moving steadily toward unity, and this movement reflects what is presently occurring in the spirit world.

The time of the fulfillment of God's dispensation is drawing very near. Now is the time when the founders of the world's major religions—namely, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius—can be called to work directly on this earthly plane.

The foundation has now been laid for this to happen. In this way, they will lead their followers to the dispensation of the Second Advent with spiritual messages and inspiration. Therefore, messages concerning the Second Advent are coming not only from Jesus but from the founders of all other religions as well.

These religious founders can fulfill their missions and achieve the resurrection of Perfection only through the devout participation of their followers in the ministry of the Second Advent.

The Second Advent of the Lord is a universal event, and its effects will not be confined to the Christian world. Eventually, all mankind will participate in the Second Advent to bring about the resurrection of each individual and the restoration of the universe. (Acts 2:39)

One World

In our present state of chaos, there are nevertheless many phenomena that reflect the intention of God to realize, at this time, His blessing for humanity. More people are striving for self-realization by seeking spiritual truth.

There is a wider incidence of direct spiritual experience. Inner freedom is actively sought by many individuals. The original human value is being restored as the democratic spirit spreads, to bring greater assurance of human rights in a climate of equality and brotherhood.

Historians indicate that throughout history, cultural spheres have formed around religious teachings. As time has passed, there has been a tendency for them to consolidate. Out of all the smaller spheres, four major ones now exist. They are Judeo-Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Far Eastern religions.

These are showing greater interest in each other than ever before. Since the Christian sphere includes many leading nations, much attention is directed to it. Christianity has formed the central foundation for the new dispensation of God.

The uniqueness of Christianity lies in its promise of building one family in the world centered upon True Parents, according to God's purpose of creation.

However, the fulfillment of this promise also fulfills the hopes and expectations of all of the world's great religions for a world of righteousness and peace.

The one world created by God has been divided by human beings. Much of this has been brought about by wars. War began on the individual level (at the beginning of human history) when Cain killed Abel.

The war that began between these two brothers has expanded among families, clans, tribes, and finally, nations. During the 20th century, the world was divided into two major blocs, Communism and the free world, representing Cain and Abel on a worldwide scale.

The conflict between the two ideologies of Communism and Democracy is one of the innumerable signs of the "end of the world." A final confrontation between these two ideologies was inevitable because they could not coexist indefinitely.

The decline and fall of the militantly atheistic Communist empire centering on the former Soviet Union is one of the signs of our times that satanic tyranny will be defeated and that God will establish His world of freedom and goodness.

With the Communist world in serious decline, the main challenge of today remains to unite the world's religions in a cooperative effort for peace and harmony beyond racial, political, and cultural barriers.

By God's will for this time, mankind's dominion over creation is expanding. We are now experiencing a stronger relationship to our inner and outer environment than ever before.

First, philosophy, ethics, and religions have each developed through God's providence. These fields have contributed to our general enlightenment. Our hearts and minds have come to reflect God, and we have also developed a greater understanding and appreciation of the universe.

Thus, our inner dominion over creation has expanded. Secondly, humankind has reached new scientific vantage points and possesses greater understanding and utilization of natural law than we have ever known. We are dramatically extending our life expectancy through unprecedented medical advancements.

We have even begun conquering outer space. This is the outer aspect of mankind's dominion over creation. Increasing interdependence of people and nations is manifested in cooperative groups and agencies of many scopes and characters.

International economic communities, church ecumenical movements, and numerous political alliances are now functioning across former barriers. The idea of world government is discussed by some, and the United Nations serves as a world forum.

Jet travel, mass communications, and the Internet have virtually eliminated the barriers of time and space. All these things signify that the old history has reached its consummation and a new day has dawned in which the providence of restoration will be fulfilled.

Time to Rejoice

The darkest hour comes before dawn. This age will see the perfect harmony of all cultures. One world will be established horizontally between the East and the West, and also vertically between the spiritual and physical worlds.

All will share a common religious philosophy under God's direct guidance. In this world, the conscientious, the righteous, and the good will prosper and lead in all fields of life, with divine love and truth.

Finally, the unity of the two worlds, the invisible and the visible, will be accomplished. Perfected men and women will serve as the mediators between them, and there will be complete harmony and communication between the two worlds.

Consequently, the new world of perfection will be highly spiritual; it will be the Garden of Eden or heaven on earth. The life God has planned for all of His children is being established, and God's ideal of creation will be fulfilled at last. God has obtained His foothold, the foundation of His dwelling with us. (Rev. 21:3)

Through this pivotal foundation, He is turning the spiritual axis of the universe unwaveringly in the direction of eternal good. The old heaven and the old earth are passing away, and a new heaven and a new earth are being established.

God will wipe away every tear from the eyes of His people; there shall be no mourning or crying or pain anymore; and all things will be made new. (Rev. 21:15)

Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.... Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Rev. 19:6c-9)